Static, multi-hop wireless networks, such as disaster recovery networks, community-based networks and large wireless infrastructure networks are composed of many wireless stations. FIG. 1 depicts a simplified layout of a static, multi-hop wireless network 1. As shown, network 1 is made up of a number of wireless stations 2a, . . . , 2n, 3a, . . . , 3n, and 23a, 23b. As depicted in FIG. 1, in order for a wireless station 3a (and therefore a user of a wireless station 3a) to communicate with a backbone network 5, messages from wireless station 3a must be sent through intermediate wireless stations 3b, 3c, 23a, 3d, and 2a before being received by a user 6a within the backbone network 5. Similarly, in order for a user of wireless station 3e to communicate with a user 6b within backbone network 5, a message must be sent through intermediate wireless stations 3f, 3g, 23b, 3h and 2e. This required use of intermediate wireless stations or “hops” to send (and receive) messages is what characterizes a multi-hop, wireless network.
As further depicted in FIG. 1, wireless stations 23a and 23b are known as “bottleneck” nodes because messages from many of the other wireless stations must be routed through them to the backbone network 5. In order to so route these messages, wireless stations 23a, 23b must utilize complex techniques to model the actual topology of network 1 to ensure, for example, that messages sent from each wireless station are appropriately routed to the backbone network 5. In fact, in conventional, multi-hop wireless networks, each of the wireless stations 2a, . . . , 2n, 3a, . . . , 3n, and 23a, 23b utilize complex techniques to model the actual topology of network 1 to ensure proper transmission and reception of messages to and from the backbone network 5. These complex techniques necessarily result in the need for complex and costly wireless stations.
It is, therefore, desirable to reduce the cost of wireless stations while maintaining or increasing the efficiency at which a wireless station transmits messages to, and receives messages from, a backbone network.
In most cases, each of the wireless stations in FIG. 1 obtains its energy/power (collectively referred to as “energy”) from a source which has a limited supply of energy, e.g., batteries. Once the energy is used up, the station can no longer be used until its batteries are recharged or power is supplied from another source. The less energy a station uses, the longer it can go without having its batteries recharged or replaced. It is, therefore, also desirable to provide wireless stations that use less energy.